Becoming a Midwife in Florida – FL

Becoming a midwife in Florida consists not only of in-depth education, but it also requires doula and childbirth training. This is an integral portion of your career training that will give you the opportunity to tap your educational knowledge and use it as it applies to the profession. Doula training consists of attending at least 16 class hours of actual labor and delivery. During this training, you will learn how to safely deliver children in a home environment. Childbirth training is similar, but it also focuses on Lamaze and relaxation techniques during labor, as well as breastfeeding and stimulation of milk after delivery.

After all education and training is complete, you will be ready to get certified. The certifying Board for midwives is the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), and upon passage of their test, you will be effectively allowed to use the title of Certified Nurse-Midwife. It is important to note that the State of Florida also requires its own state-specific licensure, which is issued by the Florida Department of Health via the North American Registry of Midwives’ written examination.

Now that you are ready begin your career in midwifery, you might be interested to know that Florida Friends of Midwives reported 18,716 working midwives in 1995 and 25,190 working midwives in 2005, which is a 25% increase over 10 years. The midwifery profession appears as though it has a stable potential for growth, and that should continue over the next 10 years as well.

In addition to the growth of this career field, there is probably no more rewarding career than helping a mother to bring her child into the world. The gratuity that a mother feels towards a midwife who brings her child into the world safely is immeasurable, and that is one of the best aspects of the working environment for a midwife.